1997
Matthew
2017
Matthew Laritz
February 9, 1997 — October 23, 2017
Matthew Steven Laritz, age 20, of Liberty Township, Ohio passed away suddenly on Monday, October 23, 2017. Matthew, the very beloved son of John and Jennifer Laritz, was born on February 9, 1997 in Montgomery, Ohio. He passed away in his college apartment at The Ohio State University from complications due to his diabetes. He is survived by his heartbroken family - his parents John and Jennifer, his older brother Michael, his younger sister Christine, and his younger brother Daniel. He leaves behind his maternal grandparents Mary “Nana” and George “Pops” von Bretzel of Saint Augustine, Florida and the late John Conlon, his paternal grandparents Mary Ann “Grandma” and Lanny “Grandpa” Laritz of Holland, Ohio, as well as his uncles and aunts Brian and Susan Conlon of Danbury, Connecticut, Scott Conlon of Frederick, Maryland, Frank and Cathy Laritz of Flemington, New Jersey, Teri and Floyd Absher of Dublin, Ohio, Greg and Linda von Bretzel of Plantation, Florida, Marc and Sandy Cohn of Maricopa, Arizona. Matthew also leaves his many saddened cousins John (Ashley) Conlon, Mallory (Tyler) Davenport, Andrea Conlon, Frank John Laritz, Alyssa Laritz, Amelia Absher, Floyd Absher, Clara Absher, Jimmy (Rose) von Bretzel and Jeff von Bretzel. He also is survived by many great uncles and great aunts, second cousins, and wonderful friends.
Matthew was sweet, kind, funny, selfless and athletic. He was extremely intelligent although he never would want others to know as he was very humble. He graduated from Lakota West High School in 2015 in the Top 25 of his senior class. He was a National Honor Society member. He also earned the 8th grade Plains Jr High Principal’s Award for the highest Grade Point Average. Matthew frequently said his classmates at Lakota West were all nice as Matthew did not have a mean bone in his body. Matthew was a junior at The Ohio State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. He was on the Dean’s List at The Ohio State University three times.
Matthew loved soccer and played recreational soccer for LSO with his parents Jennifer and John coaching his teams. He enjoyed the many times practicing with Christine’s teams and she with Matthew’s teams that his mom coached. He also played “up” on Michael’s teams several times that his dad coached. Matthew also played select soccer for Lakota United and Cincinnati United. He had terrific coaches and had many fantastic, talented friends throughout his many years of soccer. Besides playing soccer, Matthew was a Certified SAY soccer referee and a USSF soccer referee.
More than soccer though, Matthew loved games. He started putting together puzzles at two years old and shortly after started playing card and board games with his parents and older brother Michael. Later when Christine and Daniel were old enough to learn how to play games they joined in the family fun. One time when Matthew was finishing up 7th grade, his mom, Christine and Matthew were playing a card game when Matthew mentioned it was awards night, but he rather stay home and play the game! His mom said they should go so Matthew quickly changed clothes when he told her he was supposed to be at Plains at 6:10 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. awards. It was 6:20 p.m.! Matthew then proceeded to not just receive high honors, but also three individual awards for P.E., Keyboarding and Advanced Math. He even joined the Game Club at Lakota West. His love of games was so deep that it extended to online computer games as well where he’d stay up to all hours of the night playing. He passed his love of computers and games on to his brother Daniel teaching him many of Matthew’s strategies and tricks. No matter what game the family played, however, Matthew always seemed to win which was ironic as he was teased by his family for being “blonde” and yet everyone knew Matthew could analyze, predict, outwit and outplay them when it came to any type of game!
Besides numerous community service volunteer hours, Matthew also worked at AMC Movie Theater for two summers and his winter break. He provided his brother Michael with enough movie posters to decorate Michael’s apartment in Maryland as well as fed the family pastime with free family movie nights complete with drinks and popcorn!
The visitation is from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 30, 2017 at the Hodapp Funeral Home. The funeral home is located at 6410 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Liberty Township, OH 45044. A brief visitation will also take place Tuesday at Saint Maximilian-Kolbe Catholic Church located at 5720 Hamilton-Mason Road, Liberty Township, OH 45011 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. The funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. (For a live broadcast of the funeral service, please see the link below) A private family burial will follow.
In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund is being set up in Matthew’s name to support families wanting to attend Children with Diabetes Friends for Life summer family conferences. They help not only the kids with diabetes feel special and normal, but the conferences help the whole family learn, laugh, relax and have fun. The founder’s daughter, our neighbor and friend, was Matthew’s babysitter and whose house Matthew went to do his first finger prick at 10 years old that changed Matthew and our families lives forever. If so desired, donations could be sent to:
Children with Diabetes Matthew Laritz Scholarship Fund 8216 Princeton-Glendale Road, #200 West Chester, OH 45069
For a live broadcast of the funeral service please click here: https://venue.streamspot.com/c4ba1a06
Matthew was sweet, kind, funny, selfless and athletic. He was extremely intelligent although he never would want others to know as he was very humble. He graduated from Lakota West High School in 2015 in the Top 25 of his senior class. He was a National Honor Society member. He also earned the 8th grade Plains Jr High Principal’s Award for the highest Grade Point Average. Matthew frequently said his classmates at Lakota West were all nice as Matthew did not have a mean bone in his body. Matthew was a junior at The Ohio State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. He was on the Dean’s List at The Ohio State University three times.
Matthew loved soccer and played recreational soccer for LSO with his parents Jennifer and John coaching his teams. He enjoyed the many times practicing with Christine’s teams and she with Matthew’s teams that his mom coached. He also played “up” on Michael’s teams several times that his dad coached. Matthew also played select soccer for Lakota United and Cincinnati United. He had terrific coaches and had many fantastic, talented friends throughout his many years of soccer. Besides playing soccer, Matthew was a Certified SAY soccer referee and a USSF soccer referee.
More than soccer though, Matthew loved games. He started putting together puzzles at two years old and shortly after started playing card and board games with his parents and older brother Michael. Later when Christine and Daniel were old enough to learn how to play games they joined in the family fun. One time when Matthew was finishing up 7th grade, his mom, Christine and Matthew were playing a card game when Matthew mentioned it was awards night, but he rather stay home and play the game! His mom said they should go so Matthew quickly changed clothes when he told her he was supposed to be at Plains at 6:10 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. awards. It was 6:20 p.m.! Matthew then proceeded to not just receive high honors, but also three individual awards for P.E., Keyboarding and Advanced Math. He even joined the Game Club at Lakota West. His love of games was so deep that it extended to online computer games as well where he’d stay up to all hours of the night playing. He passed his love of computers and games on to his brother Daniel teaching him many of Matthew’s strategies and tricks. No matter what game the family played, however, Matthew always seemed to win which was ironic as he was teased by his family for being “blonde” and yet everyone knew Matthew could analyze, predict, outwit and outplay them when it came to any type of game!
Besides numerous community service volunteer hours, Matthew also worked at AMC Movie Theater for two summers and his winter break. He provided his brother Michael with enough movie posters to decorate Michael’s apartment in Maryland as well as fed the family pastime with free family movie nights complete with drinks and popcorn!
The visitation is from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, October 30, 2017 at the Hodapp Funeral Home. The funeral home is located at 6410 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Liberty Township, OH 45044. A brief visitation will also take place Tuesday at Saint Maximilian-Kolbe Catholic Church located at 5720 Hamilton-Mason Road, Liberty Township, OH 45011 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. The funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m. (For a live broadcast of the funeral service, please see the link below) A private family burial will follow.
In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund is being set up in Matthew’s name to support families wanting to attend Children with Diabetes Friends for Life summer family conferences. They help not only the kids with diabetes feel special and normal, but the conferences help the whole family learn, laugh, relax and have fun. The founder’s daughter, our neighbor and friend, was Matthew’s babysitter and whose house Matthew went to do his first finger prick at 10 years old that changed Matthew and our families lives forever. If so desired, donations could be sent to:
Children with Diabetes Matthew Laritz Scholarship Fund 8216 Princeton-Glendale Road, #200 West Chester, OH 45069
For a live broadcast of the funeral service please click here: https://venue.streamspot.com/c4ba1a06
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